Safe
by FlyingFleshEater
Summary: Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there’s really only one thing to do. Find Edward. Finished!
1. Pilot

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summery**** Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**A/N: Okay, I confess, I fell into the trap that is Twilight. I really did try to resist though. So I've decided that while MLB is being a bitch that I'll try my hand at Twilight ****fanfiction**** Don't hate me.**

**OOOOOO**

The sun had barely risen. In the distance I could hear the activity of animals in the forest, but nothing ventured too close to me. My muscles had ceased their spasms hours ago, the pain fading slowly. I was just now finding the will to move at all. I can't properly explain it. It was like waking up, only I was never asleep in the first place. So, maybe it would be better to call it 'coming into awareness', instead.

The first thing I felt upon opening my eyes was the raw burning in my throat and mouth. So thirsty. So very thirsty. Next was the smell. The appetizing, nauseating smell of human blood. It was beautiful, it was horrible, it was at the same time the greatest and worst thing I had ever smelled. I knew this, undoubtedly. Just as I knew what I was. I smiled. I was a vampire.

I realized that the blood I could smell everywhere was my own. Or what had been mine. My hands slipped on the still wet fluid. Vaguely, sub-consciously, I remembered a red headed woman with a wicked smile. My hand clenched on the bloody grass. Disgusting. The smell was all around me. Choking me. I held my breath. It didn't help very much.

Putting my feet flat on the ground, I pushed myself into a standing position carefully, half formed memories swirling through my mind, memories of falling over my own feet. Caution was always good.

I stood there for a long time. I knew it had to have been hours since I had moved last. The sun was in the east behind the walls of grey clouds. A new smell assaulted me. It was worse than the blood. I cringed away from the stench instinctively. A whisper in the back of my mind repeated one word._ Wolf. Wolf. Wolf. Wolf. _A steady staccato rhythm.

He broke through the line of trees, a large red-brown creature with a mouth full of fangs wide open. He was too large to be a wolf. He stank to bad to be a wolf. More half remembered recollections washed over me. A name that belonged to an Indian boy. _Jacob._ "Jacob," I whispered, tasting it. Werewolf.

The wolf growled and took a step back, hackles rising.

I ignored him. A new thought had entered my mind. The memories of Jacob had brought more to the surface. _Charlie. __Renée.__ Phil. Carlisle. __Esme.__ Emmett. Rosalie. __Jasper.__ Alice. Edward._ Air flooded into my lungs. _Edward. __A cooked smile on a beautiful face.__Warm butterscotch eyes.__Cold hands.__ Cold lips. __A bright meadow.__A grand piano on a raised platform.__A sweet smell and a musical voice.__"Bella."__A low chuckle.__ "I love you."_

"Edward." My voice cracked. "Edward," I tried again. "Edward." I needed to find him. I needed Edward. He would help me.

The werewolf was snarling now, annoyed at being ignored for so long.

I turned back to him. "Jacob." I took one step forward. Jacob took one back. "Jacob, I need help."

The large wolf shook his majestic head.

"Jacob, we're friends. Friends help each other." I didn't move from where I was again. I didn't want him to run.

The wolf backed off a few more steps.

"At least take me home. I need clean clothes." It was true; my current attire was soaked in blood. Charlie had gone somewhere. Fishing I think. He might still be gone. If he had come back he would have found and empty house and sent out a search party. They would have found me by now. He must still be gone. I remembered not being too far from the house when I was attacked.

_"This is my payback bitch." Burgundy eyes bored into my own.__A cold hand on my throat, choking me.__ "You're boy will suffer, make no mistake about that. I'm going to kill him myself right in front of you. And then you'll remember it forever."_

I shivered at the indistinct memory. "Please, Jacob."

Jacob seemed to frown. His long canine mouth turned down at the corners. He looked away for a moment. Deliberating. Then with a huff and a puff he stalked past me determinedly. I smiled to myself and turned to follow him.

When I was beside him I whispered, "Thanks Jake."

The wolf huffed again. I avoided laughing by thinking about how I was going to do this. I would need to fake my own death.

It didn't take long to get to the house, despite the fact that I was going along behind Jake very carefully, it would be embarrassing to trip when I was a vampire. Somehow I felt that I had very bad luck. And knowing this led me to believe that I could fall flat on my face even though I had vampire grace.

I knew it was my house more out of instinct than out of memory. The old red truck in front made me smile for no particular reason.

"How are you going to do it?" I jumped at the sound of his voice. Trust a werewolf to sneak up on me. I turned to see Jacob standing by the line of trees, his arms crossed over his bare chest.

"You won't rat me out?" I countered.

Jacob sighed, "No. There's the treaty to consider. And I guess that since it wasn't the Cullens that got you, the treaty wasn't broken."

"Right," I nodded, deciding he could be trusted. "I'm going for the kidnapping ploy. I'll make it look like a forced entry; splatter a little blood around, that sort of thing."

Jacob nodded absently. "Good luck Bella." And with that he disappeared back into the forest. I listened carefully but could only barely make out the sounds of his progress through the trees. A thought occurred to me. During our whole conversation I hadn't once thought of drinking his blood. This caused me a moment of pause. After a moment of serious contemplation I concluded that it must have been because he smelt so horrible. I had most likely associated his smell to his taste sub-consciously.

Shaking off my thought processes I instead focused on the task ahead of me. With determination, I swept up to the front door and kicked it open powerfully. Once inside the house I started making a huge mess. I sent pictures flying, chairs sprawling, the knives on the counter by the sink went crashing to the floor, and I tipped the couch over backwards. In my old room I sent the lamp on my bedside table to the ground, glass shattering everywhere. I couldn't risk taking too much or Charlie would notice. I got down on my knees and searched under the bed for a duffle bag I could almost remember stuffing under there. When I had my hand around it and was pulling away from the cramped underside of the bed I noticed a somewhat familiar smell. It was sweet and made my mouth water. _Edward._ Flinging the empty bag out of my way, I sniffed along the floor until I found the area where his scent was strongest. It was a single floor board. Suspicious, I pushed my hand down on one end of the board. The opposite end popped up. I moved the piece of wood away slowly and peered inside. Down underneath the floor were several things. There was a CD, a few photos, and a thin packet of papers. I lifted these objects out and started to examine them more carefully. However, before I could get too far in my observances I heard the faint growl of an engine approaching the house.

Panic.

In what would have been an invisible gesture to a human, I stuffed the objects into the duffle, replaced the floorboard and scrambled to the closet to grab some clean clothes. I took the ones at the back of the closet; things I had gotten with Alice in California, the tags were still attached. Then, when the bag was half full I went for the dresser and rooted around in the top drawer until I found the sock in which all my cash was stored.

"Jackpot," I whispered to myself. Then I was gone, out the back door and into the forest before Charlie's cruiser had turned the corner. I didn't even trip.

**OOOOOO**

**So . . . what do you think?**


	2. Feed

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summery:**** Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**A/N: Another chapter in the same day! Shock! FFE must be incredibly bored!**

**It's short and not up to my usual standards but I really wanted to get this part out of the way so I can work on the real fun.**

**OOOOOO**

My first feeding had been incredibly lucky, as I had no real clue what I was doing. I had stumbled (quite literally) across a small herd of deer in a pleasant clearing. They had all scattered, predictably, but I had managed to jump one fast enough. I was more than a little concerned about what to do after I bit down through the jugular vein. But the second that the blood touched my tongue instinct took over. The thirst didn't fade. It was a constant presence despite the four helpless deer I had polished off. The dry feeling was highly uncomfortable, but the lack of human existence in the forest kept me somewhat calm.

I had come across a stream. It was a simple little thing with good clear water. Perfect for washing the dried blood out of my hair. I could see well in the dark, almost as if there had been no change in light. But there was no moon tonight and therefore no reflection off the water. I had yet to see how I had changed other than my paler skin. It had almost seemed impossible that my skin could have gotten any whiter, but it had.

I had run north until the sun had completely sunk below the horizon, the shadows stretching slowly to engulf me and the smell of the sea not far away. I tripped a few times when I over looked some tree roots and loose rocks. It felt fun to fall, in a way, knowing I wouldn't be hurt by my clumsy behavior. At one point I had caught my foot on an almost invisible rock, fallen forward, and smacked my head on a very large tree. Aside from being a bit dazed I was unhurt. The tree had snapped in half, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar that hurt my ears.

I guess that even with my new found grace I was still a walking train wreck. I grudgingly slowed my progress away from Forks, keeping to the forested areas. My plan couldn't actually be called a plan in the true since of the word. It was more like a collection of clues in conversations that I couldn't quite remember having. Things like 'Alaska' and 'Denali' and 'coven' had been strung together with my off brand of logic to form a thought that the Cullens might have gone back to Tanya and her family. And I knew that Alaska was in the north. So I followed the 'never eat soured watermelon' rule and made a beeline for Canada.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: Yeah, it's short, but that's because I'm using it as filler. Next chapter will be more interesting.**

**Stay tuned for Chapter 3-Monkey**


	3. Monkey

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary****Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**A/N: Enjoy. **

**OOOOOO**

My face was different. It was understandable of course; everything was different now so my face shouldn't be an exception. I was still surprised though, when I saw it reflected back up at me from the clear water of a small river near the ocean. My eyes were the most surprising; a vicious bloody red color. My hair was the same, maybe shinier. The angles of my face were more pronounced. But aside from those few things I could barely tell the difference.

I heard the sound of an animal making its way to the water and the thirst overwhelmed me again. I could smell it but it was an unfamiliar scent. I had gotten used to the deer, their smell and taste. This was different, more dangerous. I stilled completely, not even breathing, and watched the spot where I knew this beast would exit into the clear area. The excitement was building quickly and I could see the leaves moving where the creature was. When it finally came into sight I wasn't able to control my laughter. I had gotten all keyed up over a porcupine. I stopped laughing when I saw that the creature had noticed me, its quills at attention.

I knew it couldn't hurt me. Hardly anything could pierce vampire skin. But the human instinct to back off was strong. I scuttled back a few steps. The funny animal didn't move, but its quills stayed up. Once I was far enough away that I could no longer hear it waddling about I told myself I had only left because it was too small to be of any use for food. No way could a vampire be scared of a stupid animal. I shook my head to dispel these thoughts and examined the trees around me, the early morning light filtering down through the heavy foliage. The moss on the trees was all on my left; that was north then. The smell of the salt water was all around me.

'Vancouver Island is located off Canada's Pacific coast and is part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 285 miles long and up to 50 miles wide. The largest island on the western side of Canada at 12,407 square miles, it is the world's 42nd largest island, Canada's 11th largest island and Canada's second highest populated island. The island is named in honor of George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest Coast between 1791 and 1794. The 2001 census population was 656,312. As of 2005, Vancouver Island had and estimated population of 723,000. Slightly less than half of these live in Greater Victoria. Other major cities on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, and Campbell River.'

I looked at the brochure in my hand with mild interest. I had found it on an empty forest path shortly after reaching land. It was something for tourists; I was sure. It was careless for them to drop it. That disruptive little voice in the back of my mind whispered to me again. _Maybe you should take it to them._ The thirst remained powerful. I ignored the voice and ducked back into the deep woods. Still reading the small packet, I skipped the history of the island and went to the wildlife section.

'The fauna of Vancouver Island is similar to that found on the mainland coast, with some notable exceptions and additions. For example, grizzly bear, mountain goat, porcupine,' I shivered, 'moose, skunk, coyote, and numerous species of small mammals, while plentiful on the mainland, are absent from Vancouver Island. The island does support most of Canada's Roosevelt elk, however, and one species — the Vancouver Island Marmot — is endemic to the island. The island's rivers, lakes, and coastal regions are renowned for their fisheries of trout, salmon, and steelhead. It has the most concentrated population of cougars in North America.'

"Okay, cougars and elk. That'll work," I muttered to myself. I had no idea what a Marmot even was. I shoved the brochure into my pocket.

It was a rainy day, the fat drops falling around me proved to be entertainment. I practiced dodging the water and trying to keep dry. I wasn't very good at it. After about an hour of this game I was becoming bored. Then I smelled something that could give me a new activity. It was a vampire.

The smell was sweet. This seemed to be the norm for vampires. But under the saccharine scent was another smell, like baby powder.

The thought of meeting another of my kind brought mixed feelings to the surface. I had encountered vampires before with varied results, but I had yet to see one since my transformation. Various scenarios ran though my mind in the space of a few seconds. I was just wondering if I should avoid the other vampire completely when I heard the sound of music drifting on the breeze. It sounded . . . lonely.

That clenched it. Something inside me just couldn't stand the heartbreaking melody.

I was downwind from him when I stepped into the rain drenched clearing. He didn't seem to have noticed me, his full attention locked on the harmonica he held in his tiny hands. His hands weren't the only tiny things about him either. His whole body was small and delicate, even for a vampire. He was just a child. A baby. He had to be no older than six when he was changed. He was leaning against a large tree, his short legs stretched out in front of him. I could see his small dirt blackened feet. His face was angelic, round and youthful, topped off with a head full of blond curls. Beside him was a small backpack, a teddy bear's head poking out of the opening.

I stepped forward with the intention of introducing myself and my foot landed on a stick. The dead branch snapped.

The vampire's reaction was immediate. He jumped to his feet and dropped his instrument to the ground. Scared black eyes landed on me. Then he did something I was not expecting. He began to wail loudly, as though someone had just broken his favorite toy. His face twisted into a look of such anguish that it pulled at my dead heart.

"Wait, please don't cry," I begged. He continued undaunted. Then a new sound ruptured the otherwise silent forest. The sound of approaching vampires.

The first one to burst into the clearing turned on the boy without even looking in my direction, followed by two others. I was still downwind. He kicked the child in the back and sent him sprawling to the ground a few feet away. "What the hell is your problem, Monkey?" he demanded.

The young vampire, Monkey, did not stop his bawling. He lifted one delicate hand and pointed at me.

Three sets of burgundy eyes lifted to look at me.

"Um, hey," I greeted awkwardly.

The one who had yelled at Monkey smiled wickedly at me. "Hey."

**OOOOOO**

**This is the part where you review.**

**Information on Vancouver Island was taken from Wikipedia.**


	4. Warmth

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary****Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**A/N: Okay before I start, their names aren't really Monkey, Crimson, Boulder and Solar. Their real names come out in the next chapter.**** Also, chapter 3 might be a bit confusing because of my lack of page breaks until now. I hope it didn't mess anybody up.**

**OOOOOO**

He was handsome in a way, like all vampires were. He must have been very thin in his human life because of how weedy he looked now. His face was pleasant to look at, though it was covered in piercings and a tattoo of a blue flame licked its way up his left cheek from his neck. He had two piercings on his bottom lip, situated in a way that made them look like fangs. That's what I call irony. His hair reminded me very much of the porcupine I had met earlier that morning. It was probably very long, when not gelled into spikes, and black as pitch with candy apple red tips. It gave the allusion that he had recently impaled some poor human with them.

The red and black combo seemed to be his favorite look for it was reflected in the clothes he wore as well, a red silk shirt and black leather pants and shoes. Also, the piercings in his ears, which ran all along the outside edge, were alternates of red and black.

"So," he started silkily, his English accent catching me by surprise. "What is a neub like you doing in a place like this?" He walked up to me until he was only a few feet away. His eyes were unnerving.

"N-neub?" I managed to eke out.

He chuckled. "A newbie, your eyes are too red for you to be anything else."

"Oh, right," I muttered. Over his shoulder I could see the other two vampires calming down Monkey. He noticed my line of vision.

"The big one is Boulder and the other is Solar. You've already met Monkey."

Boulder reminded me of Emmett with his size, but it was less muscle and more bulk. He had a very large round face but very small eyes. The blank look on his face reminded me of a pealed potato. His hair was a neutral brown color that had been shaved into a buzz cut. He wasn't dressed in the same flashy style as Porcupine Head was. Instead he was darned in a faded pair of blue jeans and a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was darker than the other three males in the clearing, though still pale.

Solar was the tallest man/vampire I believe I have ever seen in my life. He wasn't the overly thin type either; he was nicely in between thin and stocky. His face was gorgeous, the most beautiful of the four. Though, if Monkey had been given a chance to grow up he probably could have given Solar a run for his money. His slanted eyes held the most mystery of them, Boulder and Porcupine Head seemed fairly easy to read. His hair looked like a yellow-orange dandelion had been planted on his head as a child. The fact that he was wearing a lot of green added to the insinuation of him being a very tall weed.

"You never answered my question," PH said smoothly, stepping a little closer.

"I'm looking for someone," I hedged.

"Who?" His voice was deceptively polite. He was too close now, his smell clouding my senses.

I was suddenly angry. A low growl escaped before I even registered what was happening. "My mate," I snapped. It wasn't a _complete_ lie, Edward was my boyfriend, it sort of counted for something. My stubby fingernails were digging into my palm.

"My bad love, didn't know you were taken," he said quickly to dispel my anger. "Name's Crimson," he said after my fists had unclenched.

"Bella," I replied shortly.

He smiled again, differently this time. Less sinister. "Why don't you join us for our resting time Bella? We could learn all about each other."

I deliberated on his offer quite thoroughly for several seconds before agreeing.

**oooooo**

They turned out to be quite a delightful bunch. It turns out that Solar and Boulder had been traveling together for over fifty years and Crimson had only been with them for twenty, since he himself was a 'neub'. He had quickly proved himself the most worthy to lead. Monkey had just recently run across them and had tagged along. They traveled mostly at night only stopping one night a month to feed. During the day they rested.

"We spent all night out hunting." Crimson explained to me once the five of us had all settled down. "But it looks like Monkey wasn't able to get anything _again_."

"It's not my fault!" the boy yelled loudly, causing my ears to ring. "I'm too slow to get anything," he whined, pointing at his short legs.

"Excuses," Crimson snarled. "We all know you could catch a big fat guy without a problem. You're just too soft." Then he added grudgingly, "I guess that might be your age though."

Monkey's face had twisted into the same horrible sad look that he had pulled earlier. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it if he started crying again. Without really thinking, I grabbed the boy and pulled him to me in a tight hug. He stiffened at first but then threw his little arms around my neck and dry sobbed into my shoulder.

"Don't cry. I'm too soft too," I whispered, rubbing his back in slow circles.

"So," he hiccupped "what do you do?"

"I hunt animals instead."

"Animals," Crimson was bewildered. "Is it good?"

"So far I've only had deer. It's okay I guess."

Then, Monkey shifted his face so that it rested against my neck, no longer wailing. He exhaled with a sigh. Now that his skin was touching mine I felt something that I wasn't anticipating. He was warm. Well, not exactly warm, but neutral. I had expected cold and hard. But his body was soft under my hands. My expression must have betrayed my thoughts, for Crimson was smirking.

"Not what you were expecting, eh?" He shifted so that he was sitting closer, laying one of his white hands on top of mine. It was the same. "It's like a person with a fever touching another person of the same temperature; neither of them would be able to tell that the other was sick. Humans feel the cold of our skin and we feel the warmth of theirs," he explained. He picked up my hand and held it. I looked him in the eye. He smiled.

I smiled back.

**OOOOOO**

**Any good?**


	5. Gift

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary:** **Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it**

**OOOOOO**

Monkey clung to my neck for the rest of the afternoon, his small head pressed against my neck and his golden hair tickling my nose.

"I've been around since the 1920s," he whispered at one point. "But I'm still just a kid." He clung harder.

"What do you remember?" I didn't want to even think about being six years old for all eternity.

"My mother," his little voice was wistful. "I miss her."

Then Solar spoke up for the first time in my presence. "A man should love his mother more than any other person in the world." His voice had a higher pitch than most men, almost feminine.

This caused Monkey to stir against my shoulder and turn to look at him. "Even more than his wife or children?" he asked innocently.

"Yes," Solar said with a nod. "No matter what he is doing or who he is with, if his mother calls on him he should drop everything he is doing and go to her."

Silence blanketed the clearing for several moments and I thought on what Solar had said.

"Okay, enough _deep_ shit," Crimson announced suddenly, his burgundy eyes on the silent clouds above us. "What do you remember Bella?"

I shrugged and it made Monkey's head shift on my shoulder. He giggled. "The pain of course," they all nodded in agreement, "and the one who changed me. And Edward."

"So your mate is still human?" Crimson asked.

"No, he's a vampire."

"Then how . . .?" he let the question hang.

"I met him before I was changed." I didn't feel like explaining the whole story to him.

"And he didn't change you himself?" I shook my head sadly. "Then who did?"

"Victoria," I muttered.

"Victoria," Crimson muttered thoughtfully. "Red hair and shifty eyes?" I nodded. "Oh, I remember her. We ran across her and James a few years back in this area. They were pretty okay, all things considered. James was a bit of a freak though." Boulder and Solar nodded in agreement.

All my thoughts ground to a halt. James. New memories flashed around my head. _A clearing with three strangers. Edward standing protectively in front of me, snarling. A too quiet hotel room. A crowded airport. The back of a cab. Running through the Phoenix heat. A mirrored room. James smirking. A video rec__order. Pain. Horrible, unending pain. Edward._

I became aware of a sharp pain on one side of my face. Crimson stood in front of me, his eyes wide and his hand on my stinging cheek.

"Bella? Love, can you hear me?"

"My face hurts," I answered intelligently.

He laughed shakily. "You didn't respond to anything else. I hope I didn't hurt you too bad."

I shook my head but rubbed my cheek absent mindedly.

"You got all stiff and you were breathing hard," Monkey said with a pout.

"I'm okay," I said, recognizing his worry. "I was just remembering something."

Crimson frowned but he nodded and accepted my answer.

I stood up, Monkey still attached to me. "I'm thirsty," I told him, "and you look thirsty too." And with that I strode into the forest and headed north.

"What are we eating?" Monkey asked, his little fist was clenched on my shirt.

"Whatever we come across," I answered lightly.

"I'm scared." He was shaking in my arms, his large eyes looking up at mine.

"Of what?"

He sniffed. "I don't know."

"Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

**o****ooooo**

Danger. I looked up, my eyes sweeping around the area our small group was in. The trees were close together, that wasn't good. To my left my brother had noticed my hesitation. He copied my action. We should run.

A tree to my left rustled, some leaves falling out.

I started running. Then something heavy landed on my back and knocked me to the ground. There was a flash of pain in my neck and then it went dark.

**o****ooooo**

I watched with something akin to pride as the little vampire leapt from his hiding place in a tree and landed on the deer's back. The animal tripped and fell and Monkey sank his teeth in its neck.

The other deer had already gotten away and there was no way I was going to leave Monkey alone to go after them. Even though he had been around almost as long as Edward, he was a child. I felt like if I didn't care for him no one would. Crimson made the fact that he was annoyed by Monkey's presence very clear.

I jumped out of the tree adjacent to the one he had been in and landed almost neatly beside him just as he pulled away from the animal. He looked up at me with a charming little grin, his eyes already gold.

"Well?"

"It's beats starving, well, thirsting, to death." He paused, an amused look in his eyes. "Is that your gift then?" he asked. "Tripping over yourself."

The embarrassment over my 'condition' had pretty much stayed non-existent since no one had seen it so far. But now that this little boy pointed my flaw out it came rushing in. To my surprise the familiar tightening of the muscles in my cheeks made me think I was blushing. Then I noticed the look on Monkey's face. Shock.

"What?" I demanded, still flustered.

"You . . . you're blushing." He looked up at me; his head tilted almost all the way back and his tiny hand clenched on the fabric of my jeans. Then, acting like his namesake, he climbed up my body and rested himself on my hip, my arm supporting him automatically. He placed his hand flat on my cheek. "It's warm."

For a moment we just stared at each other and I could feel the muscles in my face ease up slowly. "It's gone," he whispered.

And then the thirst seemed to double in strength. Monkey seemed to sense this in some way and he flung himself off of me and landed on the ground. I was off in an instant, chasing the herd of deer that had escaped.

**oooooo**

"So," Monkey started, staring around the area of the forest where I had caught up to the herd. "You can blush, but it makes you insanely thirsty."

I didn't answer. I think the twelve dead deer did that for me.

**OOOOOO**

**Okay, I lied about the names. They should be in the next chapter though. This one completely ran away from me. I'll update soon.**


	6. Name

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary:****Bella had only ever really felt safe when she was with Edward. So when she gets attacked by Victoria there's really only one thing to do. Find Edward.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or New Moon**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long.**

**OOOOOO**

It was nearly dark by the time Monkey and I had reached the clearing. The sun sinking low and casting orange and red light across the dark clouds. It would probably rain tonight.

Crimson was standing in the middle of the grassy circle, a heavy hiker's pack on his back and an instrument case in his left hand. When he saw my line of vision he supplied that it was and electric violin. I wondered where he had been keeping it for I had seen it before. Then I noticed Boulder, off to my right, reaching inside a tree to draw out a guitar case. I realized that it must be hollow inside.

"Keeps the rain off." Boulder supplied, his voice was a deep rumbling growl. I felt as though the earth had moved under my feet when he spoke.

I nodded and approached the tree where I had stashed my duffle bag earlier. Before I had even prepared to jump for it, Solar's long arm reached up and plucked it down. He handed the bag to me silently. I grinned.

"Thanks Solar," I said.

"My name is Louis. I prefer it, Isabella Swan." He looked me right in the eye as he said this. I gasped quietly. I had never told them my full name.

"How did you . . . ?"

"It is my gift, I know people." He glanced at Boulder. The large vampire nodded his face blank. "His real name is Shadrach." He looked at Monkey, who was too busy arguing with Crimson over some silly thing to be paying any attention. "Monkey's name is Henry and Crimson's is-"

"Don't you dare!" Crimson growled. Solar ignored him.

"Joseph."

The clearing was deathly silent. Not even the birds made noise. I looked back and forth between Louis and Joseph, noticing the cocky little smirk on the Asian's mouth.

Joseph glared, his teeth bared in a silent growl. Then he rolled his shoulders and unclenched his fists. "Et tu, Louis? Et tu?"

"Whatever," Louis said, turning his back on the miffed vampire. "You'll get over it."

"How am I ever gonna' get any if you keep telling all the lady's my real name?" Joseph demanded. "Crimson is cool and dangerous. Joseph is . . . _safe_," he said safe like it was a deadly disease.

I laughed. "Now I'm going to call you Joey."

"NO!" he turned to me and yelled.

"Oh yes." I said. I would not be deterred. Monkey was giggling into his hand. At some point he had climbed onto my shoulder without me noticing.

"Then I'm going to call you Izzy." He said it in a threatening tone, but I could tell he was asking permission.

"Fine, but I'll just ignore you."

"Same here love," he said smugly.

"The two of you are wasting precious traveling time." Louis and Boulder were waiting at the entrance to the trees, looking back at the two of us, and the monkey on my shoulder.

"Wha- you're the one who brought up the whole name business in the first place," he accused. Then he sighed and turned back to me, almost looking tired. "The guys were wondering-" he was cut off by Solar coughing loudly. "Fine!_ I_ was wondering if you would allow us to escort you to wherever it is that you're going?"

I didn't answer right away; it was funnier to watch Crimson turn from a smooth charmer to a nervous wreck. "Denali, Alaska. There's a coven there."

"So, we can take you there?" He was timid.

I tried to be nonchalant when I answered affirmative, but I really did want some company on this journey.

Crimson's smile was dazzling.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: At least it's not as short as chapter 2.**


	7. Vision

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: I'm tired of typing this thing out every time. See chapters 1-6.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**OOOOOO**

It took two days to get off of Vancouver Island, not counting the one where I had met 'O Neg.'. That's what my new friends called themselves apparently. They made money by posing as a traveling band; Louis sang, Shad-he had insisted that I call him that- played guitar, and _Joey_ played electric violin. Henry normally just stood around looking cute, but sometimes he was called upon to use his 'mad harmonica skills'.

I was sure that the only reason it had taken two days to cross the island was because I was so slow. Even Henry was faster, but that was mostly because he kept to the trees like a real monkey. So, because of my tendency to have selective sight- I never did see those branches that I tripped over, honest to God- we had to jog through the forest instead of running full tilt.

"Man! You must have been ass slow when you were human," Joey puffed.

"Not slow, just clumsy," I insisted lamely. Joey smirked.

"Well, I had no faults as a human. That's why I'm so amazing now." He looked up at the trees with a faraway look in his eyes.

"Except that you were an egotistical heroin addict," Louis said in a monotone without breaking his stride.

"Hey, hey, what's with the personal attacks? I never call you a dirty rotten obsessive compulsive chink," Joey said snidely. Louis's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. Joey turned to look at me. "This one time a few years ago, we were in south China and we stumbled upon a bag of rice. Solar just _had_ to stop and count every single grain. It took all night."

"Stop caterwauling." Shad interrupted, a shower of leaves rained down on us. The thunder booming overhead mixed in with his voice.

Joey hadn't said another word the rest of the night, but Louis made a suggestion.

"Maybe you think about it too hard."

Two days later, we reached the Canadian province of British Columbia.

**o****ooooo**

British Columbia sucked.

I glared icily at the quivering form of Joey in front of me. He was bent at the waist with his hands over his mouth, desperately trying to stop the laughter that had been going on for upwards of ten minutes. He kept muttering things like 'I'm sorry' and 'I don't mean it, really'. It was starting to piss me off. Especially since even Henry was finding it hard to not laugh.

"It's . . . really not funny," Joey said thinly, his mouth drawn into a tight line. He saw the look on my face and another giggle escaped.

I think I growled. I know I lunged. And as I lunged I thought to myself that the world must hate me.

Joey avoided my half-baked attack easily. "What the hell was that, Smelly?" he taunted as I picked myself up out of the dirt. "My grandma could have done better, and she's human." He guffawed.

I lunged again and this time he let me come almost right to him before he put one hand on the side of my head and slipped his left leg in between mine. With one fluid jerking motion he sent me off course and tumbling into a tree. The large plant groaned under the pressure exerted on it and leaves rained down on my head.

Joey smirked and nodded. Too proud of himself to notice the murderous look I was shooting at him.

Louis sighed and rose from the spot he had been squatting in by the muddy little stream we had found. Henry had had an absolute ball with it, splashing around and getting disgustingly filthy. I had taken him with me to find some cleaner water and wash him off when we were attacked.

By a skunk.

Henry had escaped easily, having simply leapt from my arms and into a tree. I, however, have never been lucky. The startled skunk gave me a good reason to stay out of the woods for the rest of my existence.

"You're not helping anything, Crimson," the Asian vampire pointed out. "We need to go into the nearest town and get some tomato juice."

"What in hell do we need tomato juice for?" he demanded, pulling his mind away from his gloating.

"It gets rid of the smell. One of my human memories was of my father washing our farm dog with tomato juice when he was sprayed." He was busy digging through his hiking pack while he told us this, pulling out random things and tossing them to the side until he found an old worn leather wallet. He peered inside before a scowl took over his features. He sighed again and replaced his wallet, followed by his other possessions. "I'll need some money Crimson."

"Not a chance." Joey laughed at the look Louis shot him.

"Come on, it's for Bella," Louis said, gesturing at me.

I looked up, startled to see them both staring at me, Louis doing so pointedly.

I understood the look he was giving me and tried to look pitiful. It seemed to work because Joey turned away from me. "Fine, how much."

Getting the skunk stink off was a major relief. It really sucks to know that everyone thinks you smell bad. However, it didn't stop Joey from teasing me about how I smelled. But at least tomatoes smell better than skunks.

**o****ooooo**

There is five hundred miles of land between Washington State and Alaska. There was another one hundred fifty miles from Anchorage to Denali. I didn't know how many miles it was from the boarder of British Columbia to Anchorage, and honestly I didn't care. All I cared about was the fact that at the end of the seventh day of my trip I took my first step into the city limits of Anchorage.

**oooooo**

It was noon in Denali, but you wouldn't have known without looking at a clock. Alaska was a good place for us. Dark.

I had been sitting at the window for hours now, waiting for Jasper to come back from school. There was little else to do. The house was almost empty compared to how it usually was. Tanya and her sisters had gone out shopping earlier, a past time I normally would have joined them in. Esme and Carlisle were both out as well; doing their jobs dutifully despite the recent events that I knew left them both feeling helpless. Emmett and Rosalie were both upstairs, trying to be quiet in their activities and failing miserably. The only other person in the house was Carmen, sitting on the other side of the room and reading a book, waiting for Eleazar to return from a hunting trip.

I looked at the cell phone that lay innocently on the table. Edward had called it the day before, his voice dead sounding. It had pained Esme. I got the urge to chuck the silver device across the room. First he leaves Bella then he leaves us.

"Bastard," I muttered.

Carmen looked up from her book. She didn't ask of whom I spoke, already knowing full well.

I sighed, leaning back on the window sill. The familiar feeling of anticipation had been building up all day in the back of my mind. This was normal, it usually signified that a vision was approaching, but as of yet I hadn't had one. Since I had nothing better to do, I began to relax my mind, hoping that the vision might distract me.

My favorite visions were the ones that I saw like they were movies. As though the people she saw were professional actors and actresses, playing out a scene for her own enjoyment. Not all the visions came this way. Some were like photographs, still and with no noise, just one moment frozen in time. And still others were just sounds, little whispers in my ear, as though I was wearing invisible headphones.

This one was the kind I tended to like.

_There was a male vampire in the lead__h__is straight black hair__ swinging around his face, the red tips standing out against his black jacket. The largest of the four behind him was farthest back, every step he took sending up small puffs of snow. The tallest was beside the largest, his head bent so that his fluffy hair didn't catch in the tree limbs he passed under.__ There was only one female and she was walking directly behind the leader, her measured steps falling where his had. In her arms she carried a child vampire, his small head and curly blond hair blocking a view of her face._

_The leader suddenly stopped walking, his burgundy eyes focused above the tree line. The female behind him almost didn't see him stop._

_"What is it?" she asked, her face still hidden. The boy that she held turned his face from looking over her shoulder to right at her._

_The vampire in front raised his hand to gesture at the large mountain that rose up before them. "We must already be on__ the reserve. That's Mt. McKinley,__" he answered in a heavy English accent. "The coven should be around here somewhere."_

_"Can we rest here for a few hours? Henry's very thirsty." She lifted one of her hands to caress the boy's blond locks._

_The male turned to face her, a grin on his lips. "And you're not__?" he challenged playfully._

_"Not too bad, considering I'm a _neub_," she teased back._

_"Hey," he reached up to flick her forehead. "No stealing my words."_

_"You got that off a couple gamers in a pub and you know it," the tallest vampire said scathingly, having come up behind them with the large one._

_"Details don't matter," the leader shot a pointed glare over the female's shoulder._

_The woman sighed and shook her head, her long__ brown hair swaying with the movement. "Come on Henry; let's go find a moose or something."_

_"Moose! Moose!" the boy chanted agreeably._

_"Don't stay out too long," the leader called after her. She gave no reply._

When I 'resurfaced' it was to find a concerned looking Jasper right in front of me. "What did you see?" he asked without delay. Carmen was watching me from behind him, she hadn't moved. Part of me wanted to know why he was home so early, but then I caught sight of the time his watch displayed. Had I really been concentrating on a vision for the last two and a half hours? Jasper's hands gently shaking me and calling my name brought me back to reality.

I looked up at him, feeling the deep love I always did when I looked at him. He smiled when he felt it. "I think that we may be having some visitors."

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. But this is the longest chapter yet! **


	8. Meeting

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**OOOOOO**

The cow and calf had yet to notice us in the large snow covered tree. They continued to graze contentedly, their only worry being if their next meal would be easy to locate. Ours had been. I smirked. Beside me, Henry shifted excitedly, his small white hands pushing indents into the bark. I touched his face gently, a 'here we go' warning. He nodded, not moving his black eyes off the baby moose. I tensed for a spring. I leapt, Henry beside me.

Moose tastes good. Better than deer anyway. Bigger too, the one cow filled me up nicely where as a solitary doe wouldn't have. To my left Henry made a small sound of contentment and flopped away from the dead calf. He was older, faster and more experienced in the feeding department. He managed to make little mess, blood only smearing right around his mouth. He grabbed a handful of the powdery snow around him and used it to clean his face. He looked over at me and giggled. I didn't even bother asking, I already knew that I was messy. I could feel the blood on my chin, and it was probably in other more embarrassing places as well.

Following his lead, I started to grab a handful of snow to clean my face when a stick snapped in the forest behind us. We both froze, listening intently, Henry pulling in great breaths through his nose.

I saw the danger first, jumping to block Henry from sight. A vampire stepped out from behind a tree just in front of us. I snarled automatically, a sound so ferocious that I wondered if it truly came from within me. I felt Henry's hands clench on the fabric of my jeans and I knew he was peeking around my legs.

"I apologize for startling you," the man said, he held just the barest hint of an accent. "I'm surprised as well; it's not often that you find 'vegetarians' among our kind." That's when I noticed his butterscotch eyes. He saw my shoulders relax and smiled. "I'm Eleazar."

"I'm Bella and this is Henry."

"So, Bella, what brings you to Denali?"

**oooooo**

"There were five of them you say?" Carlisle's voice crackled in my ear over the cell phone.

I nodded even though he couldn't see. "Yes, four males and a female. I couldn't see the woman's face and I only saw a profile of the child, but the other three males had red eyes." Jasper had insisted that I call Carlisle and tell him this news immediately. "But the female mentioned taking the boy and catching a moose, so they might have the same hunting habits."

"It's an abnormally large group; that bothers me more than their diet." Carlisle sighed on the opposite end of the line. "About what time do you think they'll be here?"

"Well, the vision ended around 2:30, and it was fairly clear. Probably tonight or early tomorrow." I was unsure though.

Then the sound of the door opening and closing and the loud chatter of Kate, Tanya and Irina made me look up.

"Tell them about it and see what they think we should do." No doubt he had heard the three sisters through the phone.

"Right. Bye." I hung up.

**Oooooo**

"I'm looking for a coven that's said to be around here." I answered carefully. Eleazar seemed nice enough but a healthy dose of wariness had been implanted in my mind ever since I'd changed.

"Well then you're in the right place. I'm part of the only coven in this area."

Relief. Profound relief coursed through me. I had made it. I was so close to Edward that it hurt to think about it.

"Bella?" Henry was looking up at me and smiling shyly. "We made it."

**o****ooooo**

Tanya had decided that we should go meet our visitors before they found us. Just in case. Her sisters agreed. Jasper and I had elected to go with the three sisters. Five on five was fair, even if one of them was smaller than me.

It wasn't hard to find them, first be smell and then by sight. Unfortunately, only three of them were there. I had been unnaturally curious about what the female looked like. Like I was supposed to know her from somewhere. It had been eating away at me steadily over the past few hours.

The three males in the clearing looked up when they caught our scent in the air. The leader stood up, his piercing laden face turned in our direction as we came into view. We stopped ten feet away. He looked nervous.

"Hey," he called, trying to keep calm. "Fancy running into each other like this." He was eyeing the three sisters and me with an appreciative eye. Jasper gave him a warning growl.

"Can we help you?" Tanya asked in a tone that passed for polite but her posture made it seem threatening.

"Well, actually, one of my companions was looking for a coven that is said to live around here. She shares the same eating habits you see. Be you they?"

"And where is this friend of yours?" Kate asked. She gave the leader a 'come hither' smile.

He chuckled nervously. "She's hunting, as it were." He pulled at the collar of his jacket. "You know how neubs are, love. Drink enough to drown." Here he attempted to smile but it faded quickly.

The other two men behind him hadn't moved. The tall one looked like he was enjoying seeing the leader squirm.

I broke my gaze on him when the sounds of approaching vampires cut through the air. They weren't far. The leader turned in the direction of the noise.

"Izzy darling, you might want to hurry up a little," he called loudly.

"Shut up _Joey_," was the reply she sent echoing through the trees.

Then, just a little ways in the distance a tree bent over like a piece of rubber before springing back into its original position. Something vaguely human shaped was hurtling though the air toward us, or more specifically, toward Joey. I assumed it was this Izzy.

She smashed into him with the sound of a rock slide and sent him tumbling to the ground. Another figure, this one smaller, fell out of the sky just behind her and landed on them both.

"Yosh! Vampire Pile!" he crowed.

I had been paying so much attention to the little boy that I failed to notice the female staring right at me until she said my name.

"Alice? Jasper?" she asked timidly.

I looked down at her to see a face right out of one of my visions.

"Bella?"

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: Finally! I barely finished this in time. Sorry if it's a little rushed.**


	9. Home

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or New Moon**

**OOOOOO**

Alice and Jasper were standing right in front of me. Less than ten feet separated us. And I was in a tangled pile of vampire limbs with Henry cheering happily on my back.

"Oi! Get off!" Joey cried from somewhere near my navel. Henry giggled and jumped off of my back so that I could move more easily. Still, even with no weight on my back I was unable to move. Their gaze held me frozen.

Henry, however, was not held back from approaching them. His short legs carried him over the ten feet in short order. He looked up at Alice with a charming smile stretched across his face. "Hi, I'm Monkey. But you can call me Henry if you want."

Alice smiled back at him. "I'm Alice."

Henry nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh, I know. Cause Bella told me all about you." He turned to look at Jasper. "And you're Jasper because you're almost as tall as Solar," he said with his six-year-old logic. He cast his eyes over the other three female vampires. "I don't know who you are."

During Henry's little ice breaker, Joey had gotten fed up with me just laying on him and pushed me off. His hair had melted out of its usual nine inch long spikes on the first day in Alaska. The snow proved to be too much for his high powered gel. He scowled at me as the brushed the snow out of his board straight hair.

But I wasn't paying attention to him. I was thinking about how much I wanted to tackle Alice into a hug. And I was wondering if my newfound strength would be enough to knock her over when I did so. It was an entertaining prospect. One that she seemed to be considering too when I turned my eyes to her.

Henry was looking back and forth between us. Then at the three sisters and Eleazar. And then at Joey, Louis, Shad and Jasper. Then back to Alice and I. His head was moving rapidly in a circle that I could see from my peripheral vision. He seemed to be fed up with the way no one was moving. Everyone was watching me, I realized. The tiny vampire huffed cutely and stomped around to behind me and tried to push me forward, his little hands on the small of my back. "Move Bella," he whined when his pushing didn't affect me.

The stillness broke. I took a few stumbling steps forward and ended up in Alice's embrace. She had started moving when I did and her thin arms wrapped around my shoulders. A choked and tearless sob burst out of me as I clung to her smaller frame. "I missed you so much," I managed brokenly.

"I missed you too."

oooooo

The three sisters (and Eleazar) all had an easy familiarity about them that made it easy to talk to them. And since I had only heard stories of them in passing I was quite interested in them. We had taken a slow meandering pace though the sparse trees thanks to Joey blurting out that I was dreadfully clumsy, much to my displeasure, so we had a fair amount of time to chat.

Henry had found that Jasper was very fun to climb on; as he was the second tallest of the group and Louis was 'a big meanie who didn't let him catch a ride'. He had informed Jasper of this while on his shoulders, but Louis had still been able to smack the boy on the back of the head. He ignored the hit and continued to chatter away like the little monkey he was.

"It must be nice to be so tall. I wish I was tall. Maybe if I hadn't been changed I would have been, but probably not because my mommy and daddy weren't very tall. I guess being tall wouldn't be so great if you were afraid of heights. Are you afraid of heights? I'm not. I am afraid of dogs though. One time a dog bit me, that's why I don't like them. Do you like dogs? I like rabbits. They're cute. I found one a few days ago. I wanted to keep it but Bella and Crimson said I should let it go 'cause it was scared. So I was gonna' let it go but when I kissed it good-bye its heart exploded and it died. I was sad. I was so sad that I cried a bunch. You know what else makes me sad? Silent movies. I know it's queer but they do. I always used to cry when I watched them. But I like other kinds of movies. Boulder takes me to the picture show every time we go into a town. One time he took me to a vampire movie. It was rated R so he snuck me in. We were in the back row so nobody noticed me. That happens a lot 'cause I'm so small. Whenever we're in towns though, all the old ladies always tell me how cute I am. They tell me that I'll have a hard time keeping the girls off of me when I grow up. I don't like girls though, they're icky. And they make you wear dresses. At least that's what my big sisters did. It was awful. And then they'd make me play tea party with them. If I told them I didn't want to they would tie me to the chair and force me to. I don't miss them very much."

I laughed quietly as Henry rambled on and eventually ended up talking about height again. I was almost certain that Joey was rolling his eyes at the boy.

Quiet suddenly, Henry ceased his incessant prattle. "Is that your house?" he asked in awe with a tug on Jasper's hair.

"No, it's Tanya's."

Henry turned his head to look back at the three sisters. "Hey, whicha' you is Tanya?" he demanded.

Tanya waved at him. She was standing between her two sisters, their arms linked. Of the three she had the lightest hair.

Henry climbed down Jasper's back. "Thanks for the lift," he said as he launched himself at me so that he would be able to talk to Tanya more comfortably. I caught him easily and he rested his chin on my shoulder. "I like your house. It's really big."

Tanya laughed pleasantly. "Well, I'm glad you approve."

It was then that the house came into view for me. Henry was right, it was big. It didn't look as old as the Cullen's house; it was more modern and darker but just as large.

And outside the house was a very familiar car. Carlisle's Mercedes. The sleek black vehicle stood purring in the driveway. And standing by that car was its very blond handsome owner. A wave of calm washed over me from Jasper's direction and I wondered if Carlisle had been worried.

Standing in the doorway of the house was Emmett and Rosalie and near the porch steps were Esme and a woman I didn't know. When I came into their line of vision I could see a variety of emotions play across their faces. The one I didn't know seemed interested in seeing the five strangers but had no outward sign of recognition towards me. However, I could tell that the Cullen's knew who I was immediately.

"Bella," Esme stated simply before rushing forward to embrace me awkwardly because of Henry's reluctance to let go of me.

"Hey," I replied, only able to hug her back with one arm.

When she released me she focused on Henry who had his forehead resting against my neck, his wide eyes closed. "Who's this?" she asked. He opened his eyes to peer at her sideways before sitting up.

"Henry," Alice answered for me. "He's adorable isn't he?" Esme smiled and nodded.

Henry twisted himself in my grip so that his bare feet were braced on my hips as he reached out for Esme to take him from me.

She seemed surprised but quickly complied with the small vampire's wishes and took him into her arms. He kept his hands on her shoulders so that he could get a good look at her. After a few seconds of deliberation he moved his arms to around her neck and hugged her. He giggled quietly when she hugged him back. He leaned away again to look her in the eye. "I was right," he said with a charming little smile.

"About what?" she asked, confusion evident on her face.

"You hug like a mommy," Henry explained easily. It was _so_ cute. Judging by the look on the other women's faces they thought so too. Esme looked like if she were capable of shedding tears she would be.

"As cute as that is," Emmett interrupted the moment with, "we have pressing matters to attend to. Like who's going tell Edward? And, which of these bastards do I need to beat up for changing Bella?" He cracked his knuckles threateningly to emphasize his words.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: OMG this was hard to write. I'm really sorry it took so long but there were problems at work and that's where I'm writing this from. Anyway, I should have the next chapter out by Saturday.**

**Also, I hope all you Monkey's lovers liked all the extra stuff I threw at you about his past. He's based on a real little boy that I know. I was going to write the rabbit scene in this story but I decided not to. I might to a side story later about it.**

**Please review,**

**FlyingFleshEater**


	10. Call

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or New Moon**

**OOOOOO**

"Good point," Alice said, turning to smile sinisterly at Joey.

As wonderful as it made me feel that Emmett and Alice were so protective, I had a feeling that Joey would blame me if his nose got punched to the back of his throat by a large(or small) fist.

"They didn't change me," I said quickly when I noticed Shad take a small step forward, his shoulders tense. "I met them on Vancouver Island."

"Then who . . . ?" Alice started. Emmett didn't seem to care about what I'd told them, he took a menacing step towards Joey.

"It was a lass named Victoria, alright! Back off!" Joey told them, his hands up and backing away from Emmett.

"Victoria," Emmett growled lowly, his fist meeting his palm repeatedly.

"Let's take this conversation inside, shall we? We'll be more comfortable that way, and I have a feeling that this is a long story." Tanya interrupted what was sure to be a dramatic scene in her front yard. "And I'm sure Bella and her friends could use a rest."

"And a shower, if at all possible," Joey threw in; his smile was one I was used to- an almost lecherous grin. He was looking over the three sisters in a way that was nowhere near innocent. His gaze seemed most focused on Kate. I rolled my eyes. "Name's Crimson, by the way."

"Really?" Alice asked as we were entering the house. "Because Bella called you Joey."

"Damn it girl!" Joey snarled. "What is it with you always screwing me over?" he demanded.

"I think it's cute," Kate giggled at his expense.

"I'm not cute!" Joey wailed dramatically. "I'm dangerous and cool."

"Just shut up and go take your shower," Louis snapped, cutting off Joey's little show and shoving past him to get into the house. Shad nodded in agreement and followed his example, only his shove pushed Joey against the door frame roughly.

Joey just sighed and followed his two companions who were being led up a wide staircase by Eleazar after depositing their luggage by the front door. I went to follow but was halted by Alice pulling me back.

"You can take yours later; first I want to know what's been going on since we left." The look in her eyes booked no nonsense.

**oooooo**

The story was easy to tell; mostly because there were only certain things I could remember. Only the sharpest memories had made it through the change with me, and most of those were of Edward.

"I don't exactly remember you all leaving, I just know that when I 'woke up' I already knew you weren't there. I think that it was such a bad time for me that I blocked it out," I told them once we were all seated in the large comfortable sitting room. "I don't remember anything after that until Jacob and I started hanging out." When I told them about the werewolf friends, they had predictably been upset about it. Alice had yelled. Loudly. In my ear. For five minutes. I think my ears might have bled a little. And when I told them about Laurent in the meadow Emmett looked like he was ready to go on a man hunt. It was only after I told him about how the werewolves got to him first that he calmed down.

"It is quite disappointing though," Tanya muttered. "He had seemed like he would stick to our lifestyle."

"I told him," Alice muttered once I had finished my story. Her voice was laced with anger. "I told him that you would do something stupid. Of course, I was thinking along different lines. But werewolves!" She suddenly shot her hand out and picked up a small silver cell phone from the table in front of her. Her fingers dialed the number quickly. The phone on the other end rang five times before the messaging service picked up. I noticed that my new improved hearing let me listen to the other end.

"If you would like to leave a voice message please press one." Alice did so. "Please begin recording your message after the beep." The one toned beep sounded.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, pick up your phone, I have a bone to pick with you. If you think-" she started, but Esme quickly snatched the phone away. Henry shifted from where he was still draped across her so that she could use it.

"Edward, dear, would you please call us back. It's rather urgent. I hope you're well. Bye." She turned off the phone. Now we just have to wait.

**oooooo**

The warmth of the water felt amazing. Alice had only turned on the heat, informing me that it would feel the best. The actual words she had used were 'orgasm in a shower cubical'. I had been forced to bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from blushing. So far the Cullens hadn't found out about that yet. It was only a matter of time before Henry slipped and ratted me out though.

It was wonderful after a week of washing in cold streams to take a good shower and scorch the dirt of my skin. With a happy sigh I let my head hit the tiled wall of the shower behind me.

Henry had taken to Esme like a duck to water, or himself to a tree. She had taken him to get a bath down the hall from me; Alice and I had heard his giggles up until she had turned on the water for me. It was good for him, I think, to be so happy. He acted that way most of the time but there were times when I would look up at him jumping branches or watch him play with his action figures during the day when we had rested and he would have this tortured look on his face that pulled at my heart. He was such a sad creature.

Crimson had predictably been hitting on Tanya, Irina and Kate all night so far. Tanya and Irina seemed more amused than anything else but Kate was hitting back. I had no doubt in my mind that if she gave him a chance to he would be on her faster than a dog in heat.

Shad and Louis had mostly kept to themselves during the whole trip. Joey had told me that their relationship was very odd, it was strictly platonic but they were more than 'brothers'. During the resting hours they would just sit together, sometimes speaking but mostly just staying quiet.

With a regretful sigh I shut off the water and climbed out of the shower only to run right into Rosalie bearing a fluffy bathrobe. I stared for several seconds, quite confused as to why she wasn't glaring at me.

"Hurry up, I don't have all night!" she snapped with a scowl. That pushed me into action and I stumbled my way into the robe with minimal embarrassment. "Still clumsy," she said to herself and I had to bite my cheeks again to fight a blush. With no further ado, she shoved me out of the bathroom, down the hall past a startled looking Jasper, and then into Alice's room.

The pixie-like vampire stood in the middle of the room brandishing twin hairdryers and an evil smile.

"No," I said, immediately recognizing the look on her face. I tried to back up towards the door, but Rosalie's hands between my shoulder blades stopped me.

"Don't even think about running," she threatened "I got forced into this too, otherwise I would let you. But if I have to be here so do you."

"Wow! That was almost nice. I knew some of that padding had to be moral fiber," I said snidely.

Alice laughed behind her hand before snatching me out of Rosalie's reach and dragging me into a large bathroom. "You can't get out of this Bella," she stated with a very sinister cackle.

Two hours later Rosalie finally managed to escape the bathroom of hell and three hours after that I was let loose with a firm warning that I better watch my back. I was informed that I should expect these visits with Alice much more frequently. I shuddered at the prospect.

When I reached the living area of Tanya's large home it was to find Henry curled up in Esme's lap and watching a rather confusing cartoon. Jasper was also there but the others were nowhere in sight. Alice joined us before long and soon we were all laughing at the strange antics of the characters on TV.

That is, until the little silver cell phone Alice had used earlier rang. All motion stopped. There were only the sounds of the television and Rosalie and Emmett upstairs.

Alice shot her hand out and had the phone to her ear in a flash. Her voice was hard when she spoke. "Hello Edward."

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: Yeah, I lied about it being out on Saturday, but in my defense I thought that I would be working that day and I wasn't so . . . yeah. Anyway, in my original plan this was going to be the last chapter and it would just be ****uber**** long, but because of the lack of work I did over the weekend I didn't get it all done. So this is it for today, I'll have the next bit up soon.**


	11. Waiting

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**OOOOOO**

I felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest and land on Tanya's impeccably clean floor when I heard his voice on the other end of the line.

"What do you want Alice? Esme said that it was urgent." He was annoyed as far as I could tell, but his voice was still beautiful, even if distorted by the phone.

Alice looked like she was trying to keep calm, and she was doing a fair to decent job too, but her fiery eyes were intimidating. "Yes," she hissed angrily. "It is urgent."

_"What are you going to do with this stupid bear__?"_

"I told you. I told you but you didn't listen."

"Alice, what happened?" Edward demanded. Worry colored his tone. "Is Bella alright?"

_"I don't know. Maybe display it by the door."_

"Oh, she's perfectly fine. In fact, she's sitting right in front of me."

"What?" his question was more of a growl than words.

_"You could display crabs too!"_

"You heard me." Alice's tone was icy.

"I don't believe you," he snapped.

Alice gave an aggravated sigh and thrust the phone in my direction. "Say 'hi' Bella." It was not a request.

"Hi," was all I had time to say before Alice snatched the phone back.

_"You don't display crabs!"_

Henry sighed and hit the mute button on the remote. Up until then he had been trying to watch his cartoon.

"And how, pray tell, did she get to Denali?" the accusation was clear.

"On foot." Alice nearly snarled at him.

"What?" he asked again, his anger replaced by bewilderment.

"She came on foot from Forks to Denali. Amazing, isn't it?" Her sarcasm could have been sliced with a knife. "She traveled only at night, stayed off trails and roads and gave cities a wide birth. Have you caught on yet or do I need to continue?"

"Oh God," it came out as a whisper of sound over the phone.

"I suggest that you get on the first north bound airplane that you can find," Alice concluded before hanging up with the push of a button. Before anyone could say anything she held up a finger to silence us. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. After a few minutes of just watching her, Henry turned back to the TV and relaxed his alert position, settling closer to Esme again. He pushed the mute button again and noise flared to life in the silent room causing me to start.

_"I've been m__eaning to tell you for awhile. Um, y__ou don't hold your chopsticks correctly."_

_"__What? What about__ my shopsticks?"_

As the two women on TV continued to banter Alice just sat perfectly still. I soon found myself drawn into watching the show instead of her, it was quite humorous. However, I wasn't so engrossed that I didn't notice when Alice started moving again. Henry pushed mute again.

"It is now three a.m., at 6:30 tonight Edward will board a plane in Rio and if all fares well, I will be picking him up at 1:15 tomorrow afternoon."

And that was that.

**oooooo**

Waiting was agony. I could only handle so many of those cartoons Henry liked before I went spare. So at about five in the morning I trudged my way up to the room where Louis and Shad were; Joey had ended up in Kate's room after all (unfortunately for my poor virgin ears). I couldn't hear (thank God for that at least) or smell Emmett or Rosalie anywhere in the house and I wondered if they had left to go hunting. As for Tanya, Irina, Carmon and Eleazar, they were in the library.

When I entered the room Shad and Louis were on opposite sides and they were not speaking. Normally this would be a sign that a feud had taken place. But to someone who had spent a week with these vampires it was nothing out of the ordinary. This is just how things were with them.

"Isabella," Louis intoned with a nod in my direction. This served two purposes, one as a greeting and one as a warning for Shad to know that someone had entered the room.

According to Joey, in Shad's early days as a vampire he had made another of our kind very angry. In retaliation for whatever it was that he did, the other vampire used his gift and dulled Shad's mind. That was the cause of the perpetually blank look on his face. He could still do everything a normal vampire could, like hunt and run preternaturally fast, but it wouldn't occur to him to do these things unless he was prompted. It was hard for him to pay attention to conversations or to notice the presence of people around him.

After Louis had acknowledged my presence, Shad was able to focus enough to greet me as well, a blank smile slipping on and back off of his face.

"Did you need something Isabella?" Louis asked politely, closing the book he had been reading around one of his fingers so as to keep his place.

I shook my head. "Just came to talk. You haven't been downstairs in a while, I was just wondering if something was wrong."

Louis smiled thinly. "All the things that I know about these people swirl around in my head until I can no longer think. It is easier to be around Shadrach and Joseph because I know them better. All the pasts that belong to your friends, and even to you, are difficult to have screaming though my head. Shadrach has elected to stay with me and Joseph is . . . busy." He grimaced at the last word.

"So I've heard," I muttered dryly. Tuning out the noise coming from just down the hall was easier said than done. "What do you think?"

For Louis I didn't need to elaborate my query, he already knew what I was talking about. Of the four of them he had been the only one to openly question my new way of life. Joey had been skeptical, but he didn't say anything about it. He had a 'to each his own' sort of attitude. Shad couldn't think more than two feet in front of him at any given time, so he didn't bother me with it either. And Henry had wanted it. He didn't want to have to kill children like himself; he didn't want people to be sad.

"It is interesting, but you still haven't convinced me." He smiled and cocked his head. "But, that is because you are not after me, right?"

I smiled. "Right."

"Well if I ever do change my mind about my diet, it is unlikely that I would join a family such as this. My ability makes that almost impossible. I like what I have now; change is not something I want." He turned back to his book and opened it. "You should know that Joseph will not stick around much longer. Since you have found what you are looking for he has no reason to stay."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Joey had never struck me as the type to settle down. "Well, bye."

"Good bye Isabella," Louis said, already focusing on his book. I took this to mean the conversation was over.

When I reached the door Shad called to me. "Bella." I turned to look at him. "It's been fun." His smile was still a bit blank but it was a smile none the less. I smiled back, but his attention had slipped again and he was looking at the magazine in his hands.

**oooooo**

Early morning passed slowly, my quick conversation with Louis only took up ten minutes tops, so I was left wandering the almost mansion in a sort of daze. I avoided the third floor as much as possible, it was the residential area of the home and that was where Joey was 'getting his grove on'. The library would have kept me busy for hours on end if I hadn't been in such an anxious mood. I wasn't able to concentrate on anything except the clock and the slowly moving second hand. I spent a few hours just staring at it, my chin resting on a table and my eyes blank.

The thirst that I always felt seemed somewhat insignificant now. It burned and itched and made it feel as though I wouldn't be able to talk until I drank another moose. A quiet chuckle leaked out of my mouth at the thought. Just last week it would have been strange to think such things. I felt too lethargic to go hunt but I just knew that if I didn't Edward would wind up making me blush when I finally saw him. It would definitely ruin the mood if I became wildly thirsty when he turned his dazzling eyes on me.

So with a grunt and a sigh, I heaved myself away from the table and trudged into the den where Carlisle had joined the cartoon party at some point. Henry was now snuggled between Esme and Carlisle, his teddy bear- Wolfgang- in his arms. I didn't say anything to them as I walked through the room, but as I passed Henry I ruffled his hair. He whined quietly and tried to knock my hands away without taking his eyes off the television screen. I just laughed and continued on my way to the front door.

"Where are you headed Bella?" Alice asked from the den, she hadn't raised her voice but I heard her fine just the same.

"To find another moose," I replied.

"You shouldn't go alone," it was Carlisle this time. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No worries mate, I'll go." Joey's voice shocked me. I had thought for sure that he was still upstairs. There was a short silence and I was wondering if I should go find out what had caused it when Joey's laughing voice rang out again. "Get that look off your face. We'll stay out of the town."

Joey rounded the corner then, his hair back in its spikes and a smug look on his face. "Let's do this bitch," he said with a smirk. He opened the door and made a big show of being gentlemanly. I rolled my eyes and moved to punch him. He blocked the swing easily and smacked the back of my head in retaliation. Our playful scuffle lasted until we had made it into the sparse woods around Tanya's house.

"So," Joey drawled when he managed to wrestle my arms behind my back, "what should I do with you now?"

"You should let me go before I kick you in the balls." I kicked back blindly to prove my point. I must have gotten too close to hitting him because he released me with a little push. I stumbled.

"This boy of yours must love you a lot if you treat him like you do me."

"_You_ are the one that treats _me_ badly. Not the other way around," I pointed out.

"Just shut up and find you moose." Joey shoved me lightly in the direction of the denser forest.

**oooooo**

It was just past noon by the time we made it back to the house. I was pleasantly quenched and Joey had a look on his face as though he had sucked a lemon. He opened his currently gold eyes and glared at me.

"It's your entire fault I even had to go through that. If you weren't so damn messy-"

"Oh shut up. It isn't that bad," I interrupted his whining.

"I'm going to have to go hunting as soon as we hit Russia because of this." Joey had been bitching at me for a little over ten minutes now. I tuned him out and speed up.

Henry opened the door for us before we had even made it up the porch. "Finally!"

"What's with you midget," Joey snarled as he brushed by me and into the house. He didn't care for an answer apparently; he just swept up the stairs and into Louis and Shad's room.

"Alice told me to tell you that she and Esme went to go get what's his face from the airport," Henry said, bringing my attention back to him.

"Edward," I reminded him.

"I know." He didn't explain further, he just grabbed my hand in his small one and pulled me into the now empty den. "Let's watch a movie," he demanded.

I nodded and watched as that simple action made him beam happily. He rushed over to the TV and pushed play on the old VCR. He had been prepared.

"What are we watching?" I asked.

"Fright Night, it's about vampires." He laughed at the dubious look on my face. "Don't worry; I think you'll like it. It's pretty silly."

We ended up laying on the couch as we watched the film, his small body sprawled across mine and Wolfgang crushed to his side.

The movie was standard B horror fare, lots of bad visual effects and a corny plotline, but it was mildly enjoyable. I ended up being so engrossed in the movie that it startled me to hear the sounds of a car rolling into the drive.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N: ****Woot**

**Yeah, Edward isn't in this one either but I swear he will be in the next. Do not lose faith.**

**Sorry it took so long and all, I've just recently started Driver's Ed. and it takes up most of my mornings. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as it is finished.**

**I'm going to take my sister to church at 6 and the Harry Potter movie at 9, so when I get home I want to see a bunch of reviews in my inbox. Please?**

**Later!**


	12. Reunion

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6**

**Disclaimer: Nope.**

**OOOOOO**

A million ideas swarmed through my mind as I listened to the sounds of Esme, Alice, and Edward coming up the drive. I could hear him, smell him, hell; I could envision him walking closer to the house and to me. I moved to sit up, I wanted to run to him, to fling myself into his arms at last, but Henry's small hands pushed me back down, suddenly more powerful than I would have thought, and a little growl tumbled out of his mouth.

"No," he said, pushing his head up under my chin. "He left you; he has to come to you." He fisted his hand in the shirt I was wearing. "You're too tense, relax."

I laughed humorlessly. "Easier said than done." I closed my eyes and buried my nose in Henry's soft hair. He definitely smelled like baby powder.

When the door opened, a shiver of anticipation ran down my spine. I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin. An electric current is spiking through me, filling me with a mad energy that can't be explained. Every step he took seemed to last an eternity. The eight months since I had last seen him paled in comparison to these eight seconds. He was in the same house. The same room. And I could not see him. I couldn't open my eyes. I was afraid that if I did I would wake up in my room in Forks and none of this would have ever happened.

There was a tiny voice in the back of my mind whispering that it had been my fault in the first place. My fault he had left Forks and his family. I was to blame. Then the other voice, the one that screamed with love for him, reminded me that while that might be the case, I was also the reason that he had come back. All of the fear and anxiety disappeared in that instant.

I could hear his hurried footsteps as he approached the couch. Then there was silence. If I hadn't been able to smell him right beside me I would have thought he had left. But he was there, not moving not breathing, not saying a word. Then something shifted, whether it was him or just the direction of the air flow in the room I didn't know. But it prompted his voice. "Bella."

At this my eyes opened, because everything was suddenly so real and wonderful. But I didn't look at him. Not yet. My gaze was fixed on Henry's little blond head. His face was turned to the side and I could see that his wide gold eyes were open and scrutinizing Edward sharply.

His hand is stretched out as if to touch my face, the long white digits just in front of my eyes when Henry attacks. He had pushed himself up slightly using my shoulders and had latched on to Edwards hand with his razor sharp teeth that I knew weren't that sharp to another vampire. Edward gasped again but this time in pain and irritation. It looked like he was about to force Henry to let go of him by flinging the boy off, so I reached up and held his arm steady without looking away from the small vampire.

With my free hand I held Henry's jaw between my thumb and index finger and applied pressure until he let go. He turned his tortured eyes to me. "No biting," I said simply. He was silent for a second before he started giggling. "Why don't you go say hello to Esme?" After Henry rolled his eyes playfully and sighed, he tumbled off of me and onto the floor with Wolfgang dangling from one hand. I could hear him down the hall complaining loudly about how I had kicked him out of the living room.

I noticed belatedly that I still held Edward's arm in my hand, his skin no longer felt like stone under my fingers. When I moved to let his arm slide out of my grasp he caught my hand instead and twined our fingers. I shuddered pleasantly at the feel of his thumb rubbing circles on the back of my hand. My unneeded breathing was coming faster than normal and my eyes slipped closed again.

"Bella, I . . ." he started; there was silence for a long moment. "Please forgive me." It was so quiet that I wondered if I had heard correctly. But then I reminded myself that this was Edward after all.

At long last, my eyes flashed to his face. I knew he would be beautiful, even though my fuzzy human memories did him no justice; the pictures I had found of him had been wonderful. But even though I was prepared for the surreal perfectness of him I couldn't stop a small gasp from slipping out.

The first thing I saw when I looked at him was the subtle flinch he had given when he saw my eyes. I had spent long enough staring in Alice's mirror last night to know that they were still that violent hostile crimson of all new vampires. Carlisle had assured me that it would fade within a year.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, closing his warm golden eyes and bowing his head. "If I hadn't left you . . . I'm sorry."

"Well, I'm not," I said seriously. He looked up at me, the surprise evident on his face. "I'm sort of glad you left. If you hadn't I would still be human and you would still be trying to keep me that way." His surprise turned into a frown. "Of course, I was devastated completely," I continued, ignoring the stricken look on his face. "But all things considered, this has turned out pretty well." He looked like he was about to say something so I moved my free hand to cover his mouth and sat up. "Just shut up. Don't talk about how sorry you are or how you'll never forgive yourself. It doesn't matter anymore. Because Alice has told me about what an ass you've been for the last eight months without me around." He had the courtesy to look sheepish at this. "So here I am, right in front of you, and I'm waiting for you to say or do something that isn't masochistic or stupid." I removed my hand from his mouth. "Okay, I'm done."

For a moment he just stared at me, his mouth open slightly and a gob smacked look on his face. I almost laughed; I don't remember ever having been that forceful with him. And then when the moment stretched on I wondered if I had said too much. My fears were erased when a breathy chuckle escaped. Soon the chuckles turned into outright laughter. I couldn't help laughing with him. If we were human we probably would have been crying.

He pulled me forward on the sofa until he was hugging me as we laughed; my head on his shoulder and his face buried in my hair. "Does . . . does this count . . . as something not masochistic or . . . stupid?" he asked between laughs.

"I guess so," I managed, throwing my arms around him happily.

"It's not even that funny." His laughter picked up with renewed force. I shook my head in agreement since I couldn't speak. I managed to open my eyes long enough to see his happy face before his mouth descended on mine, which effectively ended my laughter.

It had to be the most amazing kiss we had ever shared, even counting the first one. It was completely open and warm and wonderful. And the best part was that we didn't need to breathe. Ever.

And so he just kept kissing me.

Again.

And again.

And again.

**o****ooooo**

I watched Joey's back from my spot perched on the second floor balcony. He was dressed down from the stylish brands he usually wore and was speaking to Louis and Shad in a hushed voice. Henry was pouting by the steps, his backpack beside him. I saw Shad's guitar by the railing and noticed that Joey was already holding his violin case. It had only been a few hours since Edward had arrived and we had spent most of that time getting 'reacquainted' as Alice had put it, but Joey had decided that it was time for them to leave.

Behind me I heard Edward approach the sliding door and step onto the balcony with me. The sound had alerted Joey to my presence, his gold eyes flashed in mild irritation. He still seemed to be sore about the moose incident.

I braced my hand on the railing of the balcony and vaulted myself over the side. I heard Edward's noise of surprise behind me. He hadn't had time to get used to me not being a weak little human anymore. But no matter how impressive the jump might have been, my landing left something to be desired. Joey guffawed loudly when I stumbled.

"Are you leaving already?" I demanded, ignoring his amusement at my misfortune.

"Yeah, got to hit Russia so I can take this damn gold out of my eyes," he said with a smirk.

The other occupants of the house were coming out now. Edward came up behind me with a frustrated look on his face. "I wish you wouldn't go," I told the British vampire.

He grinned and reached out to hug me. Edward growled. We both ignored him and embraced. "I'll miss you to," he said. "But there are four things in this world that I love; music, drugs, sex and blood. I can't give up all that excitement and settle down!"

"Of course not, because you're dangerous and cool," I mocked. He paid the tone no heed.

"Exactly! However, if you ever need a change of scenery," he glanced over my shoulder at Edward when he said this, "or anything really, just give old Crimson a ring." He pushed a piece of paper into my hand and winked. I smiled and stuffed the paper in my pocket.

"Will do."

He nodded once and turned to the others on the porch. "Thank you for allowing us in your home, but we gotta' go. See you." And with that he started up the gravel drive to the street.

"Good bye Isabella," Louis said simply. He walked away behind Joey.

"Bye," Shad said with a wave to everyone before following Louis.

Henry had the longest goodbye. He went around to everyone and demanded a hug or a kiss or a handshake, his little angel's face full of sadness. When he came to Edward he reared his leg back and sent a solid kick at his shin. Edward winced but otherwise did nothing. While Alice and Emmett laughed at this occurrence, I chided him briefly about how it wasn't nice to kick people.

Henry kissed my cheek and tossed his little arms around my neck briefly before running off after the other three. He would glace back every few steps and every time he did I was reminded of how much I would miss him. He soon caught up to the others and went to walk beside Joey.

"What the hell are you doing?" Joey demanded, turning on the little vampire.

"I'm walking," Henry said defiantly. He sounded more than a little confused at Joey's tone, I was feeling the same way.

"You aren't coming with us. Get back there." Joey pointed back up to the house.

"What?" Henry asked. Louis and Shad were watching Joey confusedly.

"I won't have a weakling like you in my coven." Joey winked.

"Oh," Henry seemed to understand something that the rest of us had missed. He turned around after one last beaming smile at Crimson and ran right back up the drive way. The rest of O Neg. continued on without another backwards glance. Henry came to a stop in front of Carlisle. "I was wondering, well, seeing as I don't have a coven anymore . . . can I stay with you?"

Carlisle squatted down on level with Henry and offered him a very serious look. "Do you promise to stick to the diet?" Henry nodded enthusiastically. "Well then, I don't have a problem with it."

Henry squealed happily and hugged Carlisle. A round of 'welcome to the family' hugs came down on him after that.

"Edward, is something wrong?" Esme asked once things had calmed down a bit.

I looked up at him to see that same frustrated look on his face as earlier.

"It's odd and a bit scary really, but I can't hear any of you." He pointed to his temple. "There's no noise."

Silence fell. Carlisle had a thoughtful look on his face. I was looking between them worriedly. Finally, Carlisle spoke. "Edward, step away from Bella."

"Why?" He sounded suspicious and it warmed my heart.

"Just go with me here," Carlisle sighed.

Edward reluctantly backed away from me a few paces.

"More," Carlisle waved him back.

Edward growled under his breath and stepped about five feet away from me.

"More."

He took a few more steps.

"Edward," Carlisle said, exasperated. Edward frowned and walked back some more. He was about ten feet away when he stopped. He had an amazed look on his face. He took one step forward. Then one back. Then forward again.

"Amazing," he whispered to himself.

Carlisle smile triumphantly. "I believe we have found Bella's power."

The others all looked at me with varying expressions. I had the strange feeling that I was about to become a science experiment.

**OOOOOO**

**A/N:**** Okay, I really hate this one. It took entirely too long. Sorry about the wait (Harry Potter kept me busy) and I hope it didn't suck too bad.**

**Just one left.**

**Review.**


	13. Safe

**Title: Safe**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Summary: See chapters 1-6.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

**OOOOOO**

**Two Years Later**

"Wow!" Henry exclaimed from his spot on Carlisle's shoulders. He had vacated the Mercedes quickly in order to get this spot. His gold eyes were wide with wonder as he gazed up at the new house. "Is it really ours?" he asked, twisting around to look at Esme.

Esme smiled and nodded.

"Do I get my own room?" he asked Carlisle this time.

The eldest vampire nodded.

"Yeehaw!" Henry trumpeted, launching himself over Carlisle's head and down to earth. He continued his quick escape up the front lawn and through the door of the almost mansion.

These little stunts had become common over the past two years. Henry was quite a handful. I shook my head in amusement and climbed out of the silver Volvo I had arrived in. Edward had driven the Vanquish since he still didn't trust me behind the wheel of a car. He had only handed over the keys to the Volvo because Henry was too short to see over the steering wheel and touch the pedals at the same time. It was mildly offensive that he trusted the tiny vampire more than me.

Edward and Henry had a fragile relationship. Henry found Edward to be overbearing and stuck up. Edward found Henry flat out annoying. At least Edward didn't punt Henry like a football anymore, Esme and I had seen to that. He had worked himself into her heart and held on tight. Even Rosalie warmed up to him.

Edward roared up the long gravel drive just behind me, the wheels spinning gravel everywhere. He unfolded himself out of the car and approached me with an open hand. I sighed and tossed the Volvo's keys at him. He caught them easily of course and sent one of his perfect crooked smiles at me that left me fighting a blush.

He had been appallingly enthusiastic about my blushing, having found out about it less than ten hours after Crimson and the others left. He found delight in trying to get me as red as possible, using methods that I just couldn't beat him at. And when I went hunting afterwards in a fit of thirst he would chase after me and apologize once I was in a state to care again. I would forgive him, naturally, and then I would be back in square one.

I bit my tongue as he came closer, not wanting to lose a few moments with him because of a blush. Leaning back on the car I carefully drummed on it without putting dents in the metal as I waited for Edward to approach me. He sauntered up slowly and I pulled the radius of my power in as much as possible.

I had the ability to block the powers of other vampires. My power didn't block things like Rosalie's excessive beauty, or Emmett's strength, or Carlisle's compassion. But it did block Edward's mind reading, and Alice's visions, and Jasper's control on emotions. However, it only blocked Alice and Jasper if they were within my radius of influence, once they were outside of it their powers would work on me. Edward couldn't read my mind no matter how close or far away he was. Carlisle speculated that perhaps my mind was just so private that mental powers in general just didn't work on me. So far we hadn't run into any others of our kind with those kinds of powers, so it was untested. Over the past two years I had honed my power in a way that made it easy for me to extend my radius of influence to over a hundred feet away or to retract it to one foot. Carlisle predicted that with time I would be able to draw the radius within me completely.

When Edward got within a foot of me he gave a full body shiver. The effect of my power was either a relief to him or an annoyance, relief because he could get away from Henry's mental shouting and an annoyance because he felt that if he needed to protect me he had to stay at least a foot away. Whenever he voiced these opinions I would just roll my eyes and kiss him, which normally shut him up for a few hours.

"So, did you kill anything?" he asked jokingly, looking over the car quickly before wrapping his arms around my waist.

"There was this one really old guy, but he looked ready to fall over dead any minute so I don't feel _too_ bad." I replied easily.

He smirked. "I hope he didn't dent the hood." He glanced at the front of the car then turned his eyes back to me.

I smacked his chest lightly and dropped the joke, focusing instead on our new house. Edward was looking at it too, his head tilted to one side.

"It looks like the Alamo," he whispered after a moment. I couldn't contain a slightly unladylike snort at this. Edward chuckled quietly. "Did you know that the frame is made of Styrofoam?"

I groaned. "Lovely, with Emmett and Henry living here we'll be out of a home in weeks."

Edward gave a loud 'ha' and turned to lead me inside with his arm around my waist. "Thank you for not wrecking my car, by the way."

"My pleasure," I said dryly.

Instead of going all the way up the stone steps that led to the large double oak doors, he paused on the third step and looked up at the sloping angle of a twisted tree that had been trimmed in such a way that an experienced climber could make their way up to the roof.

"Come on," Edward smiled crookedly at me and pulled me by the hand over to the wide tree trunk.

I gave a half hearted whine before giving in and following him up the tree. At least the view was nice.

The house itself was tree stories high and made out of Styrofoam and wood pretending to be mud-brick. The roof was a flat expanse that you had to step down onto because the walls went about half a foot above it.

I stepped onto the roof almost gracefully, I had been stumbling less and less lately, most of my clumsy fits these days happened whenever Edward would come into my line of sight.

Just as we had made it to the roof, a very fast yellow Porsche screamed up the long gravel drive and skidded to a rubber burning stop beside Edward's Volvo. Alice shot out of it before the motor had completely stopped, squealing happily and jumping around. "Way to go Edward!" she screamed up at him.

Before he had a chance to see the vision she had obviously just had I extended my radius of influence quickly so that it covered both of them. I received two exasperated shouts of my name for my efforts.

"What's going on?" I demanded. This was one of those times when my power could be an annoyance, but it was even more annoying to be left out of the loop.

Edward sighed. "Can we have some privacy please Alice?"

Alice giggled insanely and disappeared inside the house. I could hear her stampeding through the new home calling for Esme. I could hear the sounds of their excited whispers but not what they were actually saying.

I looked back at Edward. He had his back to me, hands shoved in the pockets of his tan slacks and his head lowered. As I watched him he kicked lightly at a pebble that had made its way to the top of the house. He heaved a great sigh and turned to face me.

"Well, I have a question to ask," he started, leading me over to the raised edge of the wall and pushing me down to sit on it. He followed me down, his body turned to face me and his hands clenched tightly in his lap.

"Edward, are you okay?" I ask quietly.

He pressed his lips together in a thin line and shook his head almost unnoticeably. "Not really," he swallowed. "I feel a bit sick actually." He noticed the worried crease on my brow. "This shouldn't be this hard."

"What's wrong?" I asked, reaching out and taking one of his hands.

He sighed heavily again. Then he muttered something that sounded vaguely like 'screw it' before moving to rest on his knees in front of me, his pale hands resting on my legs. "Bella, I love you so much. And I know that you love me. I hope that these last two years have shown you how deep my feelings are. So, taking all of this into account, I was wondering if you would do me a very large favor."

"I'll do anything for you Edward," I replied truthfully.

"Well," he moved one of his hands off my leg and into his pocket instead. He pulled out a small black box and the air that I had previously been breathing stopped in my chest. "Would you be in my wedding?" He flipped the little box open and pointed the contents at me.

There was absolute silence. Not even birds were chirping.

I looked at the ring that was nestled inside the box. It was a simple gold affair with a small diamond. Not flashy, just elegant and me. The fact that Edward had picked it out himself was fairly obvious to me. Only he knew me that well.

I glanced up at his deep golden eyes. "Are you serious?"

He nodded, determination blazing in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but I only managed a pathetic squeak. I gave up on saying anything and nodded instead.

A beautiful smile blossomed on his face. He reached up and brushed my hair away from my face before leaning up to kiss me gently. "Let's go spread the news."

I nodded mutely, a silly smile dominating the lower half of my face, as I stood to follow him down to the ground.

And I felt safe. Truly safe. Because Edward was here with me and we were going to be together forever. It was a good feeling. Nothing else mattered, not even the threat of Victoria finding us.

We walked hand in hand inside our new home and toward our new life.

**OOOOOO**

**The end and all that jazz.**

**Okay, here's the deal, if you guys want a sequel I sort of have one planned out. But in order for me to write it I will require major begging from you guys. And an ass load of reviews wouldn't be so bad either.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added me to alerts and all. You all kick ass.**

**If you want to see a picture of the house that the Cullen's new one is based on I will have it on my profile eventually and maybe even a picture of the little boy who inspired Henry if I can get his ****parents**** permission.**

**Okay, thanks again. Hope to write for you soon.**


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